#like i think that maybe more decepticons could've been major characters but. there were a lot that were important at some point

[transingthoseformers]

So!

I really really liked Transformers One!

The visuals were gorgeous, the characters were interesting, more under the cut

I especially liked the designs of the Quintessons, and the Quintesson ships. I liked how the ships themselves seemed like living organics up close, like some sort of massive arthropods.

I'll admit that initially learning Elita's VA had worried me, but I think Scarlett did manage to capture Elita's personality in a very interesting light— so much that I mayyyy have forgotten she was Elita's VA until the credits😅

there were so many recognizable characters in the background, but since I was. Well. In a theater and not in a place where I could pause and screenshot things I'm sure I missed quite a few Easter eggs

May I return to how much I loved the visuals??? Iacon felt alive and busy, and even though you can tell the surface was ravaged by the Quintessons it was full of so many interesting details. I fucking loved the shifting rocks and mountains

oughhh Airachnid was so cool, she gave me heavy xenomorph vibes.

I may or may not have quietly called D-16/Megatron Optimus's wife several times in the theater. I don't think my Grandma heard me as she was screwing around on her phone the majority of the time.

The transformations were pretty cool

Sentinel was the utter bastard I knew he'd be

They didn't kill the Quintessons or even directly go up against them, (which I was expecting them to go against them) which makes me think they might be saving that for a sequel or something.

LOVED THE END SEQUENCE OF D-16 FINALLY BECOMING MEGATRON AND ORION PAX BECOMING OPTIMUS PRIME, visually it was so cool

Alpha Trion's altmode was cool

I didn't expect it to have been Sentinel to scratch the first decepticon badge into Megatron's armor as a mocking gesture

Didn't expect the future decepticons to be called the High Guard, and to have their ties to the Thirteen Primes

again I loved how beautiful everything was, again and again

hehehe mild swearing in a PG movie

Probably more I can't think of right now!

Things I questioned / think could've been changed:

... I'll admit, as much as I love Megs, his character and progression from miner to leader of the decepticons felt a little out of character to me. I understand this is a new continuity with its own rules but I almost felt like Orion and D-16 should've been swapped. Idk, just an opinion. It felt very weird to hear D-16 go "mnnn but maybe we're better off as just miners, we're cogless :/", and I feel like his turn to seek violence was a bit fast.

I've seen the inclusion of Bee/B-127 as part of the original four questioned since the first trailer released, and while I liked him in the movie I do agree he might've should've been another character. Though, I'm inclined to suggest he maybe should've been Dion, and died somewhere at the end of the movie.

I'm a little disappointed we didn't get to see other possible Cybertronian cities like Tarn, Kaon, Vos, or Praxus. Idk if it'd've been realistic for them to include them, but still.

.Still not sure about Chris Hemsworth as Orion/Optimus.

Idk. I liked a lot of things about the movie, but there were a few things here and there, you know?

[lord-squiggletits]

I actually disagree with the idea that IDW1 villainized the Decepticons and I'm genuinely not sure where people got this from. Especially when they claim "the Autobots get to be treated as heroes always" when if you read a shred of exRID you know that they are literally not.

There are so many Cons that are treated as people and humanized, especially if you recognize that even some of the pure evil/antagonistic Decepticons still got written as having trauma, being wronged by other characters, having emotions, etc etc.

Decepticons that get to be protagonists/heroes/good guys: Soundwave, Thundercracker, MEGATRON, Barricade, Grimlock and Drift (ex-Decepticons if you count them), Soundwave's cassettes...

Decepticons that are antagonists/villains but still get treated like people, have sad moments, or sometimes do good things with the bad: STARSCREAM, the Scavengers, Tarn, Deathsaurus, Nickel, Shockwave, Ravage...

And I know for sure that I'm probably missing at least half a dozen others. And I didn't even get into the categories of neutrals who are evil, Autobots who are evil, or the entire Senate and Functionist Council who are enemies of the Decepticons but very clearly depicted as evil.

TLDR:

"Autobots don't get criticized--" Not true, read exRID

"Decepticons are always villainized and don't get to be heroic--" Not true, read exRID and also reread MTMTE